Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray has confirmed that Leeds United loanee Ian Poveda is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up a serious leg injury.
The Lowdown: Poveda on loan at Blackburn
The 21-year-old was sent out on loan to the Championship club during the summer in order to enjoy more regular football, but it has not quite gone to plan.
Poveda, who has been described as ‘incredible’ by Pep Guardiola after his spell at Manchester City, has been limited to just four league starts so far at Ewood Park.
On Saturday, the youngster unfortunately left the field injured in his side’s 1-1 draw away to Bristol City with what looked like a serious issue.
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The Latest: Serious injury confirmed
On Tuesday, Blackburn’s official Twitter channel confirmed the news using quotes from Mowbray, who said that the midfielder looks set for a lengthy spell out of the team. The Rovers boss outlined: “The news isn’t particularly good, he’s broken his fibula and has some ligament damage.”
As per Blackburn’s official website, Mowbray added: “It’s a fracture and it’s not good news for him or us. We’ve been in touch with Leeds United and it looks as if he’ll have an operation to insert a plate. We’ll see what Leeds want to do because he’s their player, but he will be out for a significant period of time.”
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The Verdict: Big blow for Poveda
It is a cruel blow for Poveda, especially as he tries to force his way into Mowbray’s starting line-up more regularly, and he now faces a mental challenge to overcome following such a huge personal setback.
The hope is that the Leeds youngster can make a swift enough recovery to get some more game-time at Blackburn before the season is out, ideally returning to Elland Road more rounded player next summer.
At 21, he still has a long future ahead of him, so this will hopefully be a minor speed bump in his career rather than a prolonged setback like the one suffered by Adam Forshaw.
In other news, Phil Hay has discussed Leeds’ potential January transfer business. Read more here.